The receipt and storage facility (which makes up nearly half of THORP's physical footprint), will operate through to the 2070s to receive and store spent nuclear fuel from the UK's PWR and AGR fleet.

By early 1998 over 1400 t of irradiated fuel has been reprocessed in THORP, and the plant was steadily and successfully ramped up to its normal operating throughput throughout this time.

[8] The chemical flowsheet for THORP is designed to add less non-volatile matter to the first cycle PUREX raffinate.

The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) commenced 24-hour atmospheric monitoring for krypton-85 in 1993, prior to the plant's commissioning.

Pulsed columns (designated HA/HS) are used to initially separate the majority of the uranium and plutonium from the fission products by transferring them into the solvent phase, which comprises tri-butyl phosphate in odourless kerosene (TBP/OK).

Uranium purification is achieved using three mixer settlers (UP1 - UP3) similar to those in use on the existing Magnox reprocessing plant.

This can happen if sufficient fissile material comes together to start an uncontrolled chain reaction, producing a large release of neutrons.

British Nuclear Group's board of inquiry determined that a design error led to the leak, while a complacent culture at the plant delayed detection for nine months.

Altogether 83 cubic metres (82,966 litres) of hot nitric acid solution leaked from a small fractured feedpipe, which was discovered when a remote camera was sent in to examine THORP's Feed Clarification Cell on 19 April 2005.

The pipe fractured due to lateral motion of an accountancy tank, which measures volume by weight and moves horizontally and vertically in the process.

[12] Production at the plant restarted in late 2007, but in early 2008 stopped again for the repair of an underwater lift that moved fuel for reprocessing.